When you met the media for the first time in Texas, you described yourself as "a fast, energetic forward who just causes a lot of havoc for the other team". Where does your playing style come from?
JG: I think it just comes from my work ethic overall. I'm a player who works very hard on and off the ice to get better. At the end of the day, it just comes down to who wants it more. That's something my dad has always pressed into me. He just says - "Be the hardest working player on the ice and everything will work out". That's the type of player I want to be - a fast and energetic playmaker, someone who's always around the puck and moving the puck.
You certainly don't shy away from putting in plenty of work in the gym. Your stellar fitness testing results at the NHL Combine proved that.
JG: I worked out at a gym called CrossFit Acceleration with my trainer Alex Bode once my season was over. That's where I did a lot of the preparation, working out every day. They were tough workouts. I focused on some of the things I was going to see there in Buffalo. It ended up going really well. The more off-ice training you do, the better you get.
I know Joe Pavelski is a big hockey influence for you, being a Wisconsin native and a Badger alum. But, you're also a big Brendan Gallagher fan, right?
JG: He's definitely a player I've loved to watch and model my game after. He's got good speed. He also gets to the net, gets pucks to the net and does the dirty work. He's the complete package. I like that about him.
